Published Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Private Andrew Curran, 20, from Ballygawley, was serving with B Company, 1 Scots, part of the 3 Rifles Battle Group when the attack happened in the Wishtan area of Sangin two weeks ago.
The platoon, who did not return fire for fear of injuring innocent civilians, were greeting a young Mullah and his son when one insurgent opened fire, while another lobbed two grenades at the wall in front of some of the men.
A number of people were in the grounds of a mosque and passing by on the road outside.
Pte Curran said: "I was up on top of a small roof, around prayer time, when the Mullah came out.
"He was more than happy for us to be there, he wanted us to come in.
"He was talking for a while, then I saw someone out of my peripheral vision.
"I didn't realise he was a threat until he cranked off the first shot, then I shouted 'Get down!' and we took cover."
"The first thing running through my head was that he was only a boy," he added.
"Rounds were embedding in the low wall in front of our heads, then the second shooter's ammo was piercing the clay wall in front of us."
He said a small boy on crutches nearby had been paid by the insurgents to count the soldiers.
As the insurgents sped off on motorbikes the platoon, made up of about 25 men, decided not to return fire because there were so many civilians in the area.
'Bravery'
Pte Curran said: "I didn't throw my grenade. I had it out and was about to pull the pin, but I didn't because it was prayer time and I didn't want to end up lobbing it and killing the Mullah."
Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "The bravery of these soldiers in exercising such restraint is remarkable.
"This was a moment when all the training came together, not just the skill at arms training but the conceptual training, that ability to know in a split second that it is more important, despite the risks to yourself and your mates, to hold your fire and not risk harming civilians.
"Winning the people, protecting them and winning their support, is what it's all about in counter-insurgency."